Seminar Series by IBEC, UNIMAS 28 April 2010

Dear all,

Please find below an invitation to a talk to be held at UNIMAS. Time 2 pm on Wednesday 28 April 2010 Please note different time  and room as usual.

Please confirm your attendance by sending an email to : tsendi@ibec.unimas.my

Thank you.

Regards

MNS Kuching Branch

On behalf of the Director of IBEC, I wish to invite Prof/Dr/Sir/Madam to attend our IBEC Seminar Series as below:

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 |  Date:    |  28 April 2010 (Wednesday)                          
 |                                                              
 |-----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
 |  Speaker  |  Dr. Robert L. Brownell, Jr. is a Senior Scientist for |
 |  :        |  International Protected Resources with NOAA Fisheries |
 |           |  at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFAC) in  |
 |           |  Pacific Grove, California, USA                        |
 |-----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
 |  Topic:   |  “Conservation Problems and Status of the Western Gray |
 |           |  Whale”                                                |
 |-----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
 |  Time:    |  2:00pm                                                |
 |-----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
 |  Venue:   |  Tutorial   Room   6,  Level  G,  IBEC/FRST  Building, |
 |           |  Universiti Malaysia Sarawak                        
  

IBEC Seminar Series/Talk (2:00pm) on 28 April 2010 (Wednesday) at TR6, Faculty of Resources Sciences/IBEC Building

Speakers Background:  Talk title: Conservation Problems and Status of the Western Gray Whale Dr. Robert L. Brownell, Jr. is a Senior Scientist for International Protected Resources with NOAA Fisheries at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFAC) in Pacific Grove, California, USA. He has conducted research on the biology and conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises throughout the world with major studies in Mexico, South America, Japan, and Russia.  Since 1995, and has led the U.S. side of the joint Russian-American- research on the Western Gray Whale off Sakhalin Island. He has published over 200 scientific papers, book chapters, and management documents on various aspects of whale, dolphin, and porpoise biology, conservation, and management. He has been a member of the U. S. delegation to the International Whaling Commission since 1975 and served as Vice-Chair and Chair of the IWC’s Scientific Committee from 1985 to 1991. He also served as President of the largest international society for marine mammals, The Society for Marine Mammalogy, from 1987 to 1989. He served as the Chief of Marine Mammal Research for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from the late 1970s to 1991. Between 1991 and 1993, he was the Science Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Oceans at the U.S. Department of State. In 1993, He became the Director of the Marine Mammal Division at the SWFSC in La Jolla, California, and then took up his present position two years ago. He has also been a member of the various marine mammal specialist groups under the IUCN (The World Conservation Union) for about 30 years and has served three terms as a Scientific Advisor to the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission.

Abstract: The western gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) population is critically endangered and its continued ability to survive is of concern. Hunted to such low numbers by the mid 20th century that some thought it to be extinct, the population remains highly depleted today. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) have each called for urgent measures to be taken to help ensure its protection. Our joint Russia-U.S. research program on western gray whales off Sakhalin Island, Russia, was initiated in 1995. Important findings from this ongoing Russia-U.S. collaborative study, highlighting the fragile state of the western gray whale population, include: (1) the eastern and western gray whale populations are geographically and genetically isolated population units; (2) the western population is small, with mark-recapture assessments estimating the population to be about 130 individuals; (3) the sex ratio of genetically sampled individuals shows a bias of 60% male to 40% female; and (4) the number of known reproductive females is only 25.